


of princes and rocks

by Experi



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Historical Fantasy, M/M, court AU! Of your chosen historical period!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 14:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6524581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Experi/pseuds/Experi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Request fic from a while ago. Medieval court AU, featuring prince Steven Stone and his mage in training with an unfortunate crush on him, to whom is given a small gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	of princes and rocks

**Author's Note:**

> They're younger in this btw! About 13 maybe?

There is a certain sense of life with which the prince of Hoenn laces all his actions. Even the simplest motion is done in such a way as to give off a sense of ‘being’, an enthusiasm in existing that affects even such simple things as his walk. When visitors come to the castle and present themselves before the royal family, Steven does not sit back in his throne with disinterest, he leans forward with full attention directed at the speaker, even if it does not involve him whatsoever. The prince is fascinated by almost everything put before him.

The court mage is fascinated by the prince.

Riley sits in the far ends of rooms when he is not required, off to the side. In the throne room he has a particular perch, behind the royal family on a single presumably-decorative stair jutting out from the wall. He is equivalent to a bodyguard for the young heir, after all. He must stay at least somewhat on hand to generate the habit for when Steven takes the throne and keeping a mage bodyguard on hand becomes a wise idea. Riley was hired in a blue-ribbon package for the prince and his eventual use as personal mage and (should he prove valuable and intelligent) advisor. But the time for that has yet to arrive and Riley is free to sit to the side, chin in his hand and gazing at the youngest royal, the voices echoing about the room being stored in his consciousness for later analysis. If asked, of course, he would be able to pass his focused attention on Steven off as simply the habits of a guard, but his eyes have the faint glow that comes with aura reading and his expression the softness that stems from affection.

All Riley’s doing is idly watching the ebb and flow of the prince’s aura. A thistle purple currently rimmed at the edges with soft seafoam. It’s unfairly pretty.

Lucario is curled up, sleeping next to him as Riley absently scratches her head with his free hand. The people presenting to the king make their exit about twenty minutes later and the royal family stands, beginning to file out. The king has something or other to attend to. As he always does. The mage does not envy the life of the king whatsoever. So busy. Riley sighs, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall. Technically he’s only supposed to be around and functional when there’s visitors about, otherwise he’s supposed to be training. But training is so exhausting and he was up late studying last night. It would be all too easy to just sit here and fall asleep….

“Riley!”

The announcement isn’t accusatory, just bright, but its sheer unexpectedness makes Riley yelp in alarm and flick his eyes open.

“I wasn’t– I’m–” Riley starts trying to defend itself before he even sees who was approaching him. Sleeping on the job is bad. He’s cut off by a bright exclamation of laughter and a hand on his shoulder. He looks up into steel-blue eyes and flushes immediately in embarrassment.

Oh hell, it’s the prince that found him. Of all the people.

“It’s fine, it's fine.” Steven pats Riley’s shoulder and sits back in front of him, diverting his attention to the Lucario that’s now sitting up after being so rudely awoken. She yawns widely as Riley adjusts his hat, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

“Well, I’m. If you say so.” Inhale, mage. Get yourself together. “Is there anything you needed, sir?”

“No need for formalities, Riley.” Steven sits himself in front of Riley. He reaches over, holding a hand out for Lucario to sniff and petting her head when she deems him passable. “And not really. I just found this thing, here—” Steven stops petting Lucario in favour of riffling round in one of his pockets. Riley just waits, curious. Found something? Well, the prince was known to like geology (Riley has been on the receiving end of some of his rock-based rants more times than he bothers to count), maybe it’s some particular mineral of interest.

Riley’s guess is proved correct when with a quiet ‘a-ha’, Steven pulls his hand out of his pocket and holds his palm open up to Riley. Balanced on his hand is a light blue, iridescent stone about an inch in diameter. Riley leans closer, inspecting, and even Lucario perks up to sniff at it.

“You’re allowed to touch it, you know.” Steven’s tone is laced with a bit of laughter at his courtier’s reservation. Riley, tsk, no need to be so hesitant. Riley picks the stone up, holding it to the light. “It’s a piece of dawn stone,” Steven continues on. “It’s not big enough to cause any evolution or anything, but I thought I should show you because it’s almost the same colour as your…” and here he loses the words, gesturing vaguely instead. “Aura thingie.”

Oh. Riley’s almost surprised that he was thought of, despite his relations with the prince being entirely friendly. Riley’s demonstrated aura materialization before for all members of the royal family, and this time he does it again, gathering his blue light around the little rock and concentrating. He frowns slightly, and Steven looks on with surprise as the little rock is picked up by the bright blue energy and sits hovering above Riley’s palm.

The mage grins. Lessons were successful. He can do sort-of magic.

Steven laughs brightly and gives Riley a brief round of applause that’s worth a fair bit more to the mage than Riley just praising himself like usual. The rock floats over the few inches to Steven (which Riley has to go back to concentrating for, biting his tongue in thought) and stays there. “Here.”

“No, it’s yours.” Steven plucks the rock out of the teal glow, energy leaving slight static along his fingers as he does so. Steven pays it no mind and just plops the stone in Riley’s still-open palm. “You earned it with that trick, ahah. Besides, I’m allowed to give things to my friends, right?”

And that effectively silences Riley’s protests. Fingers close around the dawn stone and Riley glances down, reddening slightly. Would you look at that.

He’s got an official friend now.


End file.
